What sound card do you use?

[surfnode]

Just wondering what sound card people use? Do you use the built in sound on your Mac or do you use an external audio interface?

I currently have an external steinberg USB2.0 audio interface but not really utilising it that much - collecting dust. I occasionally tinker with Logic Pro X but am not a full time musician. If I do anything on there is just soft synths and samplers. Not recoding any external vocals or instruments into it.

How does Logic Pro X cope with Internal Core Audio on a Mac Mini 2012 i7 with 16GB Ram compared to a USB audio interface??

 

[cbautis2]

USB audio interface (DAC only) connected to my Yamaha HS7 Studio Monitors. I use the audio interface solely for music listening. no music production at all

 

[Michael Anthony]

I used to use the optical audio out port, but now that I've sold my good speakers, if I want surround sound I have a cheap $10 or so USB card I got from ebay and downloaded a special driver that switches it on when connected. It's got the cm6206 chipset.

 

[Ursadorable]

USB DAC for playing music. Schiit Audio Modi 2, hooked up to my tube amp.

 

[JoelTheSuperior]

I've got the lovely Focusrite Clarett 8Pre. Expensive? Yes. But definitely worth the money if you care about things such as the preamps and low latency.

 

[skiltrip]

I have the Focusrite Clarett 4Pre. Before this I went through a lot of Audio interfaces. Once I got the Clarett, I knew I was done. This thing is fantastic in every way. Like Joel said above, no, they aren't cheap. It's definitely worth the investment though, if you care about low latency and having fantastic quality in and out of the device.

 

[djippy]

I own a motu 8 pre firewire, that is not compatible with my current macbook air with the fw to thunderbolt adaptor under el-capitan/not sure about sierra.

So I did buy an audient id14 which is a nice usb audio interface with 2 pre-amps and an ADAT in so I use my motu as preamp for the usb soundcard. It work fine.

I just bought a focusrite scarlett 18i8 cause there was a really good deal on bestbuy canada website, and I will compare with the audient then decide if I keep both or sell one or the other when I receive it. (or just return the focusrite, but I kind of want the red plugins and softtube plugins that can be activated with the soundcard). As I know me, I'll keep the audient for monitoring at home/mix, and leave the focusrite to record. (but the preamp are supposed to be better on the audient so it should be the other way around...)

JP.

 

[milliepuppy]

I have the Focusrite Clarett 4Pre. Before this I went through a lot of Audio interfaces. Once I got the Clarett, I knew I was done. This thing is fantastic in every way. Like Joel said above, no, they aren't cheap. It's definitely worth the investment though, if you care about low latency and having fantastic quality in and out of the device.

.... does anyone using a Thunderbolt audio interface, i'm using a Clarett 4Pre, get random noise, static when recording into a DAW. Monitoring directly through the Clarett its silent, as it is when using software instruments in Logic ,, but recording analgue source there's random noise ... i think data activity on the Thunderbolt port itself is causing interference ... such a shame

 

[JoelTheSuperior]

.... does anyone using a Thunderbolt audio interface, i'm using a Clarett 4Pre, get random noise, static when recording into a DAW. Monitoring directly through the Clarett its silent, as it is when using software instruments in Logic ,, but recording analgue source there's random noise ... i think data activity on the Thunderbolt port itself is causing interference ... such a shame

Are you sure you haven't just set your buffer size too low? If it's fine outside of your DAW then I'd be willing to bet the issue is simply that there's too much load on your CPU.

Also do you have the 5k iMac? Supposedly that model has issues with thunderbolt audio interfaces.

 

[cltd]

I have Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP attached via thunderbolt-to-firewire cable. It works like a charm, so I'll upgrade to Clarett.